Chess Champ and Mentor Orrin 'Checkmate' Hudson Shows Kids How a Game Can Help Wipe Out Bullying and Boost Achievement

HOUSTON, Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Winning isn't just for games - it's a game plan for life. The only way we can win our future is to teach and empower our youth," says author and international motivational speaker Orrin "Checkmate" Hudson. He has inspired over 20,000 students around the globe, and as part of a national tour he will participate in several school assemblies to inspire students to "make the right moves." He will share his message with students in the Fort Bend Independent School District, February 7th-February 9th, 2011.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently stated, "Teachers should look more like the people they serve." While more than 35 percent of the nation's public school students are black or Latino, less than 15 percent of the teachers are black or Latino, according to federal figures. Less than 2 percent of the nation's teachers are black men.

"Something is wrong with that picture," Duncan said. "We've got to fix it. We've got to fix it together."

Hudson knows today's youth need to see successful people that look like them in school. "Dr. Joe Coleman, the principal at Willowridge High School in Houston, is a black male with four degrees and is a perfect role model for his students. He arrives early and he stays late; he is committed to student achievement," commented Hudson. "What students see is what they will be. To BE SOMEONE, you have to see someone. Success leaves clues."

Orrin, the author of "One Move at a Time," is a chess champion and uses the game as a training tool to prevent bullying and improve student test scores. More than a decade ago, Hudson turned his focus from competitive chess to using the game as an educational and crime prevention tool after he learned of an incident in which five restaurant employees were killed in a robbery for $2,000. This tragic incident inspired Hudson to quit his job and use his life savings to establish BE SOMEONE (http://www.besomeone.org).

Hudson and his work with BE SOMEONE have been featured nationally in People Magazine and CBS Early Morning Show and recognized with numerous awards. He is a two-time winner of World Open Speed Chess and has coached students to win state-wide and city-wide chess championships. His goal is to teach students that real cash is KASH with a K. His innovative "KASH is King" philosophy spells success for students by emphasizing K for Knowledge, A for Attitude, S for Skills and H for Habits.

Students who attend his talks and training walk away with increased self-motivation, a greater desire to excel in school and a marked improvement in their GPA as a result of Hudson's message, "Think it out, talk it out, work it out, play it out, but don't shoot it out." They also learn teamwork and the importance of community involvement.

MUST-SEE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLFENGymr34

About BE SOMEONE

BE SOMEONE is an Atlanta-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that focuses on helping youth, particularly at-risk youth, in the community discover their potential and learn the skills necessary to win in any situation. Since BE SOMEONE opened more than a decade ago, thousands of children have proven to themselves and others that they can achieve anything they set their minds to by learning the game of chess. For more information on the BE SOMEONE program, visit http://www.besomeone.org.

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SOURCE BE SOMEONE